Coki Beach | St. Thomas

We interrupt this regularly scheduled [Cleveland] programming to take you back to St Thomas.

I can't always write about every single travel experience, every meal, every beach, every adventure. Sometimes I reminisce on past trips and a memory or meal sparks that never made it here (and that's OK) but other times, it's not! (You need to see Coki Beach! I wanted to post these fun pictures, I just never had the time.) I write this blog largely in part because I want to remember. It's for you guys, but it's also for me. So months later, here we are. 

After we returned from Virgin Gorda we had the weekend to spend on St Thomas. We booked a last minute hotel room via airbnb on the east end of the island at The Elysian Beach Resort. While brunching at The Caribbean Fish Market and going through some local magazines, we narrowed it down to a couple beaches where we wanted to spend our last day. Coki was closer, so we had the front desk call a cab and we were off!

 This beach is far from the quiet scenes we were used to on Virgin Gorda and Anegada. Coki is bustling with frozen drinks and with families. I liked the change of pace. A line up of brightly colored weathered wood beachfront bars and lean-to stands serve local fare and cold beers. We rented lounge chairs for $5 and a waiter delivers mango and strawberry-kiwi daiquiris. For lunch we enjoyed a tasty local dish of jerk chicken, plantains and rice. 

While there's a mix of tourists and islanders, this is definitely the place to rub elbows with the locals - and, clearly, the fish! Coki is a perfect spot for beginner snorkelers being a shallow cove with clear, calm waters and a soft, sandy bottom. The fish are particularly fond of Milkbones (a local vendor sells them) and they will eat right from your hands! We got such a kick out of this. 

So.many.fish

Coki Beach

East End, St Thomas 

00802, U.S. Virgin Islands

Water Island | USVI

Water Island is the smallest of the main US Virgin Islands with under 200 residents. It is a sub district of St Thomas located in Charlotte Amalie Harbor. Leah, Alex, Dad and I spent a day cruising around the tiny island on our golf cart, relaxing on Honeymoon beach and exploring Fort Segara. You feel completely removed from the hustle and bustle of St Thomas; it is like uncovering a secret island worlds away from the Caribbean you've become accustomed to.

Getting there: Crown Bay Marina, STT --> Phillips Landing. A small passenger ferry is $10 round trip and takes 10 minutes. Service is reliable and the ferry runs just about every hour.
Getting Around: Kelly's Carts. We lucked out with getting the last available golf cart rental that day. Definitely call at least a day in advance to ensure Kelly will have a cart waiting for you. She's located right at Phillips Landing. $40/day
Fort Segara: Built as part of the defense strategy for WWII, the war ended before it was completed. The abandoned fort has a series of underground bunkers and tunnels that were pretty cool to check out. Otherwise, the panoramic views at the highest point on the island are worth it!
Honeymoon Beach: We arrived on the early side - around 8:30am and had the place to ourselves, besides a yoga class on the nearby porch. Kelly recommended the tacos for lunch at Heidi's Honeymoon Grill, they did not disappoint. I should mention, this was my third day in a row of having fish tacos for lunch! On the far end of the beach, grab some beers at Dinghy's and relax at the floating bar.

St Thomas / St John

My cousin Kate who I grew up with on Cape Cod was recently married on St. John! The tear-jerker of a ceremony was held overlooking stunning Caneel Bay and the reception at the neighboring resort. Kate and her husband KJ live on St. Thomas so that was our home base for three days of wedding festivities before taking off to explore the BVI. 

1 | Our quaint Airbnb rental on the east side of St. Thomas was walking distance to Secret Harbor and a three minute ride into Red Hook. 

2, 8, 9, 10 | KJ hooked Kate!

3 | Painkillers at the reception

4, 5, 6 | For one night we re-located to Charlotte Amalie on the other side of the island to facilitate catching an 8 am ferry to Virgin Gorda. The Malfolie Hotel proved to be the perfect host, where cliffside accommodations offered dramatic views of the island. An afternoon lounging poolside and an evening at their restaurant was a delight. 
7 | Caneel Bay via kbinthecity

11 | Drinks on the Red Hook Ferry (STT --> STJ)

12 | Dress from LIT Boutique / shoes from DSW.